Enduro 1 @ Aston Hill: Roll call

Stage 4 was all uphill Wtf?

I was really surprised! I thought the fitness element came in with meeting the transition times! I think I may have just made mine, but a lot of riders didn’t, so they were a test as it was. Probably because they didn’t have the 5 min mechanical, and they were set in the dry.
I ended up pushing up most of Stage 4 😳 .

It’s always easy to be critical of events and I guess enduro events are the even more so because they are new. I thought the stages were a nice mix of challenge and speed, I did think it might be a bit more extreme but I think longer faster flowing stages with the odd tech section worked well.

But…. IMO the uphill stage was the worst idea ever. all the time that a technical rider could gain could be evaporated in one stage…. I pretty sure on one enters an gravity enduro to do a timed hill climb.

I thought the tight transition times were ok, the only one I missed was the last one by one minute but at my quite average pace it meant you really couldn’t talk to anyone and finding ime to take your jacket off was tricky. I think another 3 mins on all of them would have still been challenging but a bit more fun. I know the guy in front of me retired because he was just getting later and later every stage and he wasn’t enjoying it

Because of this I think the event had a very Xc race type atmosphere probably not helped by the event layout ( which I guess couldn’t have been helped) I know this is very grassroots racing but a pa would have really helped generate a bit of atmosphere.

I also thought and I guess this could be me that round 1 stage 1 and round 2 stage 1 would be the same the last bit stunned me so much I stopped and had to double check it was right. I accept that this could be me not “expecting the unexpected”

All in all though it’s great that there is a southern enduro series so well done to the organisers, I sure it can become a great series.

It did make it more than a fair playing field for the two or three guys I saw on 100-120mm hardtails.
Maybe they new something everyone else didn’t 😉

I know I’m out of condition, but I was expecting some decent downhill sections to at least help balance out the climbs.
Bit of a shame at such a venue, as it felt more like a xc event with a few tricky bits and tasters of what could have been ridden.
Transitions seemed crazy tight (well for me) and no chance to wait for mates, chat to riders, or fix anything (one of the attractions of gravity enduros).
Stage 4 was hell! 👿
I was so glad to just finish.

How random- the last thing I expected to read about the AH race was that there was too much uphill and it was too xc orientated!!

weird as they billed this event as a ‘showcase’ race with no sport class, why did they do that if it wasn’t going to be super technical?

Couple of guys I ride with went & did it, don’t think they had anything positive to say about it either.

Glad I sacked this one off.

I Liked stage 1 and 3 apart from the danger death corner.
Not keen on 2 it didn’t have any flow.
I think we run 4 the wrong way.
Real shame we didn’t do any of Black run, root canal or S2A.

Weather was good and didn’t fall off so I happy with that.

P.S Downhill tyre were a bad idea.

danger death corner.

I had to hike a bike after over shooting that one twice 👿

Stage 2 was difficult to maintain momentum on I thought.

I had a funny feeling that Aston wouldn’t be a good place for a gravity enduro, I’ve raced DH there in the past and its a great venue but Its not a particularly big place for a enduro. Wonder where the next round will be.

P.S Downhill tyre were a bad idea.

I hear you on that one!

Always nice to be out on the bike for a day but can’t say i ‘enjoyed’ it. Don’t really understand the format change – riding stages untimed was a bit weird and can’t really pass off as practice/sighting as we’ve done more extreme stuff blind in other rounds. Uphill stage was unnecessary and stopping for an hour in the middle of the session grated. I’ve had a ball at other rounds so maybe this just wasn’t the one for me. My mate loved it (but he’s a bit of a climbing perv’). Got round fairly cleanly except first run of S3 when some tape was moved so i missed a turn, lost time and missed my R1 finish time.

Overall is was deffo the most physically demanding Enduro1 i’ve done by quite some margin. Shattered now.

P.S Downhill tyre were a bad idea.

+2, my high rollers were bloody dangerous on the bottom section of stage 3, not too good climbing in the mud either.

I think Aston is a great venue for Gravity enduro. We only rode 50% of the trail today.

…it’s not like there’s going to be much pedalling mileage…

How wrong was I?! Just saw your Strava Rich – weird course… Think BC should be better, even if it’s more a mini-DH without uplift! 😉

took a couple of pics, tag yourself if I got you. http://www.rootsandrain.com/race1749/2013-sep-15-x-fusion-enduro-1-3-aston-hill/photos/

I can see most of the points above more or less but there is nothing wrong with Aston hill as a venue, just needs refining a bit. Slightly longer transitions, maybe less of climb on stage 2 maybe another proper stage. Nothing that can’t be fixed.

I kind of agree with you Scott, think it could have been a great venue, just a really weird event. Too many climbs in stages, some of them not reall neccessary IMO, and what was stage 4 about? If I wanted to be climbed up a climb I’d ride an XC race, surely missing the poing of a gravity enduro here. Shame because Ive really loved some of these events but this one just felt odd. Bit of an adjustement to some of the stages, add a couple more stages in and do one loop, loosen the trasistion times and you’d have a kick ass event I reckon.

Organisation was tops as always, stages well signed etc so some good points too, just hope the next one is a bit more like the previous races.

Nothing against AH. Would happily have traded half the climbing for some more of the DH there.

in other , better news

from facebook

The UKGE 2014 dates will be announced later today, including a British Enduro Champs.

I cant do both (enduro1 and ukge) series next year and a southern series would be my preferred option but the UKGE is just so much better (even though its more expensive, takes me away from family more and has a heftier petrol bill)

a southern series would be my preferred option

I might be able to help you with that one 😉
What sort of thing do you want all venues within an hour ish from London 😉

I actually enjoyed Aston Hill yesterday – definitely the most tiring round! Not the hardest though – that goes to Round 1, which was my first Enduro race.

I did feel that yesterday’s transition times were very tight! But we knew this before the event. And as an Enduro, which I think is supposed to be ‘how we ride most of the time’, I don’t mind the XC/uphill parts during a timed stage. Just wish I had grippier tyres for all all those damp roots! Would come across them, slip, lose all traction and have to get off and push – whoops!

Think I missed my eventual finish time by about 6 mins – double whoops! But I finished, with no crashes (clearly not trying hard enough!) so I’m happy with that. Legs are feeling it today though – more fitness training required!

#47

I actually enjoyed Aston Hill yesterday

Me too I just wanted to ride some of the Technical stuff too. Maybe we should of swapped tyres my DH dual ply’s were a bitch on stages 2 and 4 😉

Great pictures Scottfitz. Does anyone know who else was taking photos? The ones on roots and rain have have a gap between about 11:30 and 12:00 and I know there was definitely a photographer when I did Stage 1 Rd 1 at 11:56.

Many thanks

I love this one, when I shouted style it up for the camera I didn’t expect him to get off and break dance!! http://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/537759

Thanks Carlos for organising another race when few find the time or can be bothered to do something for others. If conditions were dry It would have felt like a very different race with much higher speeds and therefore fun. There was some good little additions which extended some of the downs.

The transitions were tough but they were always going to be just because of the fact Aston is on the side of quite a steep hill and covers such a small area.

Having said that I thought stage 4 was a bit odd and it would have been good to know that stage 1 of round 2 was going to be so different to round 1. I got onto the new section, doubted myself, turned around, realised I had got it right first time and turned around again, so a chunk a time gone there.

Thanks again Carlos for putting on a good event.

Paul thank goodness it wasn’t just me that did that on round 2 stage1! I must admit my head went down slightly after that!

Thanks again Carlos for putting on a good event.

+1 its good to have a series in the south, Hope he fines a venue for round 4.

Thanks again Carlos for putting on a good event.

+2 Difficult, but loved every second of it!

Struggled with motivation a bit too Simon tbh after my brain fade but kept telling myself that as long as I made all the transfer times it wouldn’t be too bad. I’m sure when the results are out I’ll be annoyed again.

Big props to all the marshals for sitting in the rain while we were all “enjoying” ourselves. Especially the dude at the start of stage 2 – PEDAL! As someone who is reasonably fit, I found the transitions tough, but OK. Biggest problem was excess of ambition on the wet roots near the top of stage 1. Fell off 3x on round 1, twice on stage 2. Could barely walk into maccy d’s in the service station on the way home.
Thanks to Carlos for putting it on. However, was very disappointed not to ride S2A, came to Aston in June and has a blast on it. If this was supposed to be a showcase for Enduro, then slightly scary downhill should be part of it as well as pedaling. It would also have held up in the wet. I don’t think the weather helped the atmosphere. We’d all have been hanging around by the burger van if it was sunny at lunch. Rather than huddled in our cars…
Anyone got any news on a round 4?

Anyone got any news on a round 4?

This was pinched for another forum:
“I was speaking to Carlos after the event and he confirmed round 4 will be at UKBP but will use none of the existing DH runs and all stages will have to be freshly cut.”

I spoke to Carlos at the end too and he said UKBP on 20th Oct, which rules me out, I will be doing this one: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/99203/Gravity-Project-Autumn-Race-1#entry

Sounds like that could be interesting, with only fresh cut tracks 🙂

Scottfitz – don’t suppose you know if there are any photos about, other than the ones on Roots and Rain, I’m trying to hunt mine down. #117.

Not sure, I know these guys some times take pics at Enduro1’s but I don’t think they where there: http://visualise.morephotos.com/mp_client/pictures.asp

I only saw that one guy (apart from me).

Might be worth emailing him: http://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/dan-harmer/

Cheers, I’ll look into it, Carlos might link some up on the race report.

I guess the debate will flow about stage four but, to my mind as a newbie to all this expecting the unexpected and having to deal with it is all part of the Enduro ethos.

That said I wish I hadn’t put a set of DH mud tyres on! But that’s all part of it right, you have to take a punt on set-up etc and sometimes it’ll pay off and sometimes it won’t.

Whatever the thoughts on the course can we say three cheers to all the marshals and organisers though – course marking and organisation seemed top notch and though it’s easy to moan there were a lot of people gave up their time to sit in the rain and let us race.

Hip-hip hooray, etc…

Dan

Warning: Contains lots of swearing and shouting.

Comedy video of a mate cramping on Stage 4.

Enjoy.

Comedy video of a mate cramping on Stage 4.

Epic vid!

Haha, I’m not a doctor but I think he might have been suffering from a touch of cramp there.

Surprised they didn’t use a couple of the DH runs as stages, they’d have been spot on for an enduro I reckon – especially DH3 if it stuill exists.

Did the organisers say why?

They did use DH3 in the end, but they added in an annoying uphill bit before the fire road.

I think the XC descent is also supposed to be the red DH, which they used as well.